Following the Synod of Rome, convened to resolve the recently rekindled conflict between the patriarchs of Aquileia and Grado, Pope Benedict IX writes to Urso, the patriarch of Grado, informing him of the Synod’s decision to support the cause of his church against the Aquileian Patriarch Poppo, who had recently launched a second military invasion of Grado before his untimely death; the pope confirms the metropolitan status together with the ecclesiastical and secular jurisdictions of the Patriarchate of Grado, dubbed “New Aquileia” for the very first time in an authentic papal document.
(SC)a Benedictus episcopus, servus servorum Dei, Ursoni Gradensi patriarche perpetuam in domino Iesu Christo salutem.
Sicut plurimum gaudemus in Domino et in dono gratięb Ipsius gloriamur, si sancta Ecclesia per bona opera crescit magnifice et dilatatur amplissime, ita nimis affligimurc et tribulamur de eius oppressione, super quam crebrior lamentantium sermo perlatus est. Non oportuerat quidem ab illis, quibus substentarid atque honorarie debuerat, tantis eam oppressionibus concuti, ideoquef necessarium est, ut remotis talium tergiversationibus, quibus venenosa malitia revelari et obscurari bonitas et veritas solet, adminiculum non modicum lamentantibus iuste impendatur atque abg Apostolica Sede suffragetur, quos per divinam gratiam Christi auxilio dignum est adiuvari, ne inh totius Ecclesięi perturbationem imprudens procedat intentio et ea, quae a sanctis prędecessoribus nostris et reliquis sanctis dudum fuerantj prohibita, denuo reviviscant. Sedis namque nostrę consideratione compellimur ea, quaek ad noticioneml nostram emendandom pervenerunt, propter Deum non relinquere, sed digna emendatione corrigere. Et si sęcularibus officiis ordo suus et tradita a maioribus disciplinan servanda est, quis ferat ecclesiasticos ordines temerari ac presumptioneo confundi, auditap negligere et emendanda non opem ferendo postponere?
Quapropterq omnibus sanctę Deir Ecclesię filiis notum esse volumus, quams detestabile nefas tempore nostri decessoris Iohannist papę a Poppone Foroiuliensi presule, diabolo suadente, actum est adversus Ursonem Gradensis ecclesię Nove Aquilegieu patriarcham.v
Prędictus quidem Poppo Gradensem civitatem adiens fraudulenter eam invasit invasamque gentilium more depopulavit, ecclesias violavit, altaria *fregit, thesauros abstulit, monasteria destruxitw et de tantis non erubescens flagitiis insuper hanc Apostolicam Sedem suis petiit simulationibus poscens ab ea per suos nuncios sibi privilegium fieri nominatim de Gradensi insula, quam promiseratx iuste et canonice ac per antiqua privilegia ostendere ad se pertinere. Unde privilegium sub tali consecutus est tenore, ut si quando de ea aliqua oriretur questio, sic iuste absque ulla occasioney ad se pertinere comprobaretz, quemadmodum promiserata'.
Quod totum in contrarium accidit, quia cum Urso Gradensis ecclesię patriarcha primum per suos nuncios deinde per semetipsum hanc Apostolicam peteret Sedem ad conquerendum de suę sedis invasione, idem Poppo vocatus ad satisfaciendum, * sicut promisitb', non solum venire distulit, verum etiam predictam insulam per antiqua privilegia * iuste ac secundum Deum * sibi pertinere, ut promiserat, ostendere minime potuit, quin etiam tenorem privilegii negavit. Et quoniam ex his, quae promisitc', nihild' ostendere valuit, privilegium, * quod sub prefatae' conditione consecutus est, suo tenore iuste evacuatum ac regulariter ad nihilum ad redactum.
Pro hac siquidem re idem noster decessor Iohannes papa congergavit sanctam sinodum in ecclesia beati Silvestri, ante cuius presentiam veniens Urso Gradensis ecclesię patriarcha de statu suę metropolitanę ecclesię eiusque pertinentiis quamplurimaf' ostendit privilegia a nostris antecessoribusg' sue sedi concessa, sciliceth' ai' sanctissimo Pelagio, Gregorio, Honorio, Stephano, itemj' Gregorio, Leone, Sergio, itemk' Leone, Benedicto, Adriano, Bonifacio, Romano, Theodoro, Anastasio, Iohanne, Silvestro, etl' Sergio,1 quae omnia noster antecessor studiosem' consideransn' firmando vetera per synodalemo' censuram sub divini iudicii obtestationep' tale novum construit privilegium, ut nullus unquam in tempore predictum Ursonem patriarcham ac successores suos de predicto Patriarchatu Gradensi sive de rebus ac possessionibus eius inquietare aut molestare pręsumat, sed potius * cum sua integritate quietus, remota omnium contradictione, ipse suique successores eandemq' patriarchalem sedem cum omnibus suis pertinentiis perpetuis possideant temporibus.
Popponi vero epistolam direxit, ut cuncta ablata sub trium personarum sacramentisr' Gradensi patriarchę restitueret. Quod non solum non adimplevit, sed etiam contra divinum ius et sanctorum patrum sancitas' quibusdam inhonestet' sibi suffragantibusu' privilegium fraudulenter impetravit de stabilitate suę ecclesię et Gradensis Patriarchatus subiectione. Qui ad cumulum suę damnationis apponensv' insuper “iniquitatemw' super iniquitatem”2, nostro etiam tempore iterumx' Gradensem civitatem furtim ingrediens cunctis abhominabile in ea commisit flagitium, totam videlicet civitatem cum ecclesiis incendit, altaria confregit, thesauros abstulit et quicquid ab igne remansit, paganorum ritu secumy' detulit. Pro tanto denique repetito sacrilegio Gradensis patriarcha apud Apostolicam Sedem, eodem vivente invasore, per suas litteras lamentatus est. Sed antequam a nobis de tanto coerceretur ausu, divino iudicio sine confessione et viatico ab hac luce subtractus est.
Tandem Urso Gradensis patriarcha una cum Dominico Contarenoz', dilecto filio nostro, duce Veneticorum sive Dalmaticorum, et populo Venetię nobis per suos supplicavita'' legatos, videlicet Benedictum venerabilem abbatem Sanctę Trinitatis et Sancti Michaelis archangelib'' de Brundulo, Iohannem Stornatum, Gregorium clericum, quatenus omnia sibi sueque sedi subiectac'' nostra restituerentur auctoritated'' et privilegium, quod Poppo de Gradensis ecclesię subiectione contra divinam auctoritatem acquisivite'', evacuaremus, quin etiam privilegia nostrorum decessorum palamf'' ostensa de statu suę ecclesię renovaremus atque confirmaremus sive de rebus atque possessionibusg'' sui Patriarchatus, quatinus que infra Venetię vel Italici Regnih'' ditionem seu in Comitatu Istriensii'' consistere noscuntur, videlicet ut omnia, quae in Rivoalto, in Metamaucoj'', in Equiliok'', in Pineto, in Civitate Nova, in confinio suę iam dictę civitatis Gradensis seu in Mursianol'' vel Gaiacom'', in Zemulis, partim in territorio Aquilegien'' et in marino termino, in Istria, in Tergeste, Iustinopoli, Piranoo'', item in Civitate Nova, Parentio, Reguniop'', Polaq'' atque inr'' castello Sancti Georgiis'' et in reliquis locis, tam infra quam extrat'', seu in Bononiau'' vel Romania, Ravenna, Ausiumov'', Pensauro, sive in quibuscumque locis Italici Regni seu Venetię habere ac possidere sui antecessores visi suntw'', ipse suique successoresx'' absque cuiusque contrarietate seu refragatione retinere et possidere quivissent.
Quorum petitionibus zelo domus Dei calefacti libenter annuentes et iustum esse decernentes in Romana ecclesia sanctam synodumy'' congregavimus residentibus nobiscum venerabilibus episcopis, presbiteris, diaconibus cardinalibusz'', subdiaconibus nostris, abbatibus etiama''' quorum aliquorum nomina haec sunt: Iohannes Lavicanensis nepos nosterb''' episcopusc''', Tedaldusd''' Albanensis episcopus, Iohannes Portuensis episcopus, Iohannes Prenestinensis episcopus, Benedictus Hostiensis episcopus, Amatus Vellitrensise''' episcopus, Bonizo Tuschanensisf''' episcopus, Honestus Foropopiliensis episcopus, Adamg''' Forosemproniensish''' episcopus, Crescentius Sanctę Ruffinęi''' ecclesię episcopus, Vido Humanensis episcopus, Andreas Perusinus episcopus, Ubertus Sarenatis ecclesię episcopus, Arduinus Ferretranusj''' episcopus, Teudaldus Sancti Mariani episcopus, Iohannes sanctę Savinensis ecclesięk''' episcopus, Teudericus Urbinensis, Teudaldusl''', Ubertus, Benedictus, archidiaconus sanctę Romanę ecclesięm''' et vicedominusn''', Ugoo''', Petrus cancellarius noster, Leop''', Romanus, Crescentius, Petrus, qui et Mancioq''' dicitur, diacones nostri, Iohannes archicanonicus et archipresbiter venerabilisr''' canonicę sancti Iohannis apostoli intra Portam Latinam, Iohannes cardinaliss''' pręsbiter titulo sancte Ceciliaet''', Iohannes cardinalis titulo sancti Martiniu''', Iohannes cardinalis titulo sancti Damasci, Ubertus cardinalis titulo sanctę Anastasię, Martinus cardinalis titulo sanctę Savinę, Teudaldus primicerius, Benedictus oblationarius sanctę Romanę ecclesięv''', Benedictus pręsbiter et cardinalis titulo sancti Silvestri, Petrus cardinalis titulo sancti Grisogoni, subdiacones autemw''' Iohannes, Adelmarius et Rozo, Sicox''', Benedictus abbas monasterii sancti Gregorii quod dicitur Clivus Scauriy''', Bartholomeus venerabilis abbas Sanctę Marię in Grottaferrata, Benedictus abbas monasterii sanctę Marię quę vocatur sanctum Petrum ad vincula, Leo abbasz''' Sancti Pauli apostoli, Georgius abbas Sancti Laurentii foris murum, Iohannes abbas Sancti Sabę, Petrus abbas Sanctę Marię in Aventinoaa, Iohannes abbas Sancti Rofillibb Foropupiliensiscc, Bonisodd abbas monasterii sancti Petri Perusiiee, Felix abbas Sancti Blasii, Symeon abbas Sanctę Marię in Pallaraff et cęterigg nobiscum residentes in gremio sanctę Romanę ecclesię.
Quorum deliberatione hoc apostolatus nostri privilegium fieri decrevimus tibi fratri nostro venerabili Urso sanctę Gradensis ecclesię patriarchę, ad quemhh nunc nostrum convertimus sermonem, precipue ob iustitiam quam te tuamque ecclesiam petere evidenter novimusii, per quod * apostolorum principis Petri et nostra, cuius vicem gerimus, auctoritate antecessorum nostrorum privilegia imitando prędictam Gradensem ecclesiam perpetua stabilitate Patriarchatum esse sancimus tibique illic presidenti tuisque successoribus totum metropolitę atque patriarchę officium libere peragendum concedimus, et de omnibus vestris possessionibus precipiendo interdicimus, ut nullus patriarcha, archiepiscopus, prepositus, decanus, vicedominus, dux, marchio, comes, vicecomes aut exactor alicuius rei * nec ullus iudex publicus veljj quilibet ex iudicialikk potestate * vim aliquam vel invasionem inferrell pręsumat aut aliquo modo * molestiam ingerere * tibi Ursoni patriarchę tuisquemm successoribus sive in ecclesiis et plebibus seu monasteriis tuę ecclesię pertinentibus seu in familiis, in colonis, servis vel mancipiis * ac reliquis qui super eiusdem ecclesię terras manent, sed omni iure et tenore sanctę Gradensis * ecclesię a patriarchis nunc et semper ibidem pręsidentibus libere, quae pręlibavimus, absque ullius infestatione retineantur ac perpetuo iure possideantur.
Privilegium vero, quod Poppo Foroiuliensis presul de subiectione Gradensis Patriarchatus fraudulenter ab hac sede consecutus est, quia nulla illud canonica munitum auctoritate decernimusnn, residentium nobiscum venerabilium fratrum auctoritali censura corrumpendooo pęnitus omnino corrumpimus et evacuamus.
Si quis ergo nostrorum successorum vel aliorum aliquorum hominum contra huius nostrę concessionispp ac confirmationis privilegium agere presumpserit aut presumentibus consenserit velqq fautor extiterit et non potius observare in integrum studuerit, * sciat se auctoritate beati Petri apostolorum principis et celorumrr Regni clavigeri nostroque anathematisss vinculo esse innodatumtt et a Regno Dei alienatum atque cum diabolo * veluti transgressor[em]uu sanctorum patrumvv sine fine damnatum.
Qui vero custos et observator huius nostri * privilegiiww extiteritxx, benedictionem et gratiam a iusto iudice, domino nostro Iesu Christo, hic et in aeternum consequi mereatur.
Scriptum per manusyy Sergii scriniarii et notariizz sacri nostri Lateranensis palatiiaa' mensebb' aprili, indictione duodecimacc'.
(SC)dd' Bene valete!
(SC)ee' Ego Iohannes sanctę Lavicanensis ecclesię episcopus interfui et [sub]scripsiff'.
(SC) Ego Iohannes sancte Portuensis ecclesię episcopus interfui et subscripsigg'.hh'
(SC) Ego Benedictus sancte Ostiensis ecclesię [episcopus]ii' interfui et subscripsi.
(SC) Ego Amatus sancte Velliciensis ecclesię episcopus interfui et subscripsi.
(SC) Ego Crescentius sancte Ruffine ecclesie episcopus interfui et subscripsi.
(SC) Ego Tedaldus sancte Albanensis ecclesię episcopus interfui et subscripsi.
(SC) Ego Iohannes sancte Prenestinensis ecclesie episcopus interfui et subscripsi.
(SC) Ego Boniso sancte Tuscanensis ecclesie episcopus interfui et subscripsi.
(SC) Ego Ubertus sancte Saxonatis ecclesie episcopus interfui et subscripsi.
(SC) Ego Arduinus sancte Fraretrane ecclesie episcopus interfui et subscripsi.
(SC) Ego Adam sancte Forosemprenate ecclesie episcopus interfui et subscripsi.
(SC) Ego Teodaldus episcopus Sancti Martini sancte Gubinensis ecclesie episcopus interfui et subscripsi.
(SC) Ego Andreas sancte Perusine ecclesie episcopus interfui et subscripsi.
(SC) Ego Wido sancte Umanensis ecclesie episcopus interfui et subscripsi.
(SC) Ego Honestus gratia Dei sancte Puliensis ecclesie episcopus interfui et subscripsi.
(SC) Ego Iohannes sancte Savinensis ecclesie episcopus interfui et subscripsi.
(SC) Ego Teudericus sancte Urbinensis ecclesie episcopus interfui et subscripsi.
(SC) Ego Benedictus archidiaconus sancte Romane ecclesie et vicedominus interfui et subscripsi.
(SC) Ego Iohannes archipresbiter sancte Romane ecclesie et archicanonicus venerabilis canonice sancti Iohannis apostoli intra Porta Latina interfui et subscripsi.
(SC) Ego Benedictus oblationarius sancte Romane ecclesie interfui et subscripsi.
a) om. D. b) gratie et saepe -ae et -ę in -e mutavit D. c) seq. ex add. et dilatantur canc. T. d) sustentari D. e) onorari D. f) idioque D. g) om. D. h) ne in] D; neve T. i) eccllesie et saepe sic D. j) fuerat D. k) ea quae] eaque D. l) D; notionem T. m) sic TD: pro emendanda, sicut ed. Jasper. n) disiplina D. o) presunptione D. p) D; aut ita T. q) quia propter D. r) om. D. s) sic TD; quod ed. Zimmermann et Jasper. t) D; Ioannis et undique Ioannes loco Iohannes T. u) Nove Aquilegie] D; Novę Aquileię T. v) Ioannes pappa et Poppo partiarcha Foriiulii add. in marg. T. w) destrussit D. x) promisserat D. y) D; ocasione T. z) D; comprobare T. a') promisserat D. b') promissit D. c') quae promisit] ___sit (spatium vacuum circiter 6 litterarum) D. d') nichil et undique sic D. e') prefacta D. f') quamprurima D. g') ancessoribus D. h') scilice D. i') ad D. j') om. et spatium vacuum rel. D. k') om. et spatium vacuum rel. D. l') om. et spatium vacuum rel. D. m') om. D. n') consederans D. o') sinodalem D. p') otestatione D. q') eadem D. r') sacramento D. s') om. et spatium vacuum rel. D. t') inoneste D. u') sufragantibus D. v') D; om. T. w') D; iniquitate T. x') om. et spatium vacuum rel. D. y') ritu secum] om. et spatium vacuum rel. D. z') Contareni D. a'') D; suplicavit T. b'') arcangeli D. c'') in surecta corr. T. d'') autoritate et undique autoritas loco auctoritas D. e'') D; aquisivit T. f'') D; pallam T. g'') possesionibus D. h'') iter. D. i'') Ystriensi D. j'') D; Methamauco T. k'') D; Aequilo T. l'') D; Ursiano T. m'') D; Gaiazzo T. n'') D; Aquileię T. o'') Piriano D. p'') subsignavit T. q'') D; Polla T. r'') atque in] om. et spatium vacuum rel. D. s'') Gregorii D. t'') crita D. u'') in Bononia] imbononia D. v'') sic et ex Arimino corr. in marg. T; om. et spatium vacuum rel. D; pro Ausimo, sicut in doc. 1024_PG et sic ed. Zimmermann et Jasper. w'') visi sunt] om. et spatium vacuum rel. D. x'') sucessores D. y'') sinodum D. z'') gardinalibus D. a''') sic TD; et ed. Zimmermann et Jasper. b''') Iohannes Lavicanensis nepos noster] Iohanne Lavicanensi nepote nostro D et sic multa (sed non omnia) nomina, pronomina et adiectiva sequentia (usque ad Symeon abbas Sanctę Marię in Pullara) a casu nominativo in casum ablativum mutavit D. c''') om. D et omnia sequentia verba episcopus om. D. d''') Tedaldo D; Teodaldus (nisi Teudaldus) ex corr. T; Tedaldus ed. Zimmermann et Jasper. e''') Velitrensi D. f''') Tuscanensi D. g''') Adam ex Uldammo corr. in marg. T; Adammo D. h''') Forosimphorniensi D. i''') Rufine D. j''') ex Ferretanus corr. T. k''') sanctę Savinensis ecclesię] ex Savinensis corr. sup. l. T; Savinesi D. l''') seq. et Hubertus canc. T; seq. et add. D. m''') sanctę Romanę ecclesię] add. sup. l. T. n''') sanctę Romanę ecclesię et vicedominus] om. D. o''') Hugone D. p''') seq. Romanus canc. T. q''') Macio D. r''') venerabillis D. s''') gardinali et undique gardinalis loco cardinalis D. t''') eccllesie D. u''') seq. item add. D. v''') sanctę Romanę ecclesię] om. D. w''') vero D. x''') subsignavit T. y''') quod dicitur Clivus Scauri] om. et spatium vacuum rel. D. z''') Leo abbas] Leonem abbatem D. aa) Adentino D. bb) D; Rosilli T. cc) Foropopuliensi D. dd) D; Bonizzo T. ee) Perusi D. ff) seq. et ceteri canc. T. gg) ceterum D. hh) quod D. ii) om. et spatium vacuum rel. D. jj) ut D. kk) iudici alia D. ll) inferrere D. mm) eius D. nn) ex decrevimus corr. T. oo) corumpendo D. pp) om. D. qq) om. D. rr) cellorum D. ss) annathematis D. tt) inodatum D. uu) transgressor T; transgresorum D; transgressorem em. Banić. vv) Petrum D. ww) privilegium D. xx) subsignavit T. yy) sic TD; manum ed. Zimmermann et Jasper. zz) noctarii D. aa') D; pallatii T. bb') mensis D. cc') D; XIIa T. dd') D; om. T. ee') omnia sequentia signa crucis om. T. ff') scripsi TD; subscripsi ed. Zimmermann. gg') ss cum sign. abbr. D et undique sic; scripsi T; subscripsi undique ed. Zimmermann, scripsi undique ed. Jasper. hh') des. T et seq. et successive cęteri qui supra presentes signati sunt add. T. ii') om. D; em. Jasper.
1) For the identification of the popes and the documents, see doc. 1024_SR, notes 2–18.
2) Vulg., Psalm. 68, 28.
“Dominicus Contareno dux assumptus est anno Domini millesimo quadrigentesimo tercio [sic!]. In cuius inicio Popo ab Apostolica Sede, iam multipliciter conquasata, de subiecione Gradensis ecclesie privilegium optinuit, et Gradum furtim ingrediens, cunctis abhominabile comisit flagicium, videlicet civitatem cum ecclesis incendit, altaria confregit, thesauros abstulit, et quidquid ab igne remansit, preter sanctorum reliquias quas invenire non potuit, paganorum ritu secum detulit. Pro tanto igitur repetito scelere Benedicto pape dux et patriarcha literas mittunt, sed antequam de tanto aussu coherceretur, sine confessione et viatico, ab hac luce turpiter sublatus est. Denique hii: Benedictum abbatem sancte Trinitatis de Brondulo, Iohanem Stornato et Gregorium clericum nuncios pape delegant, et irritacionem privilegii a Popone optenti cum ablatorum restitucione, et sue sedis aprobacionem requirunt, et petita, ex sinodali censura, a papa optinent. Tunc dux urbem diruptam, cum ecclesis, reparare studuit.” – Andrea Dandolo, Chronica per extensum descripta, ed. Ester Pastorello, RIS, ser. 2, 12/1 (Bologna 1958), pp. 209–210 (passages taken verbatim from doc. 1044_PG are given in petite font).
“Huius temporibus Iadrensis civitas, suasionibus perfidorum inducta, Venetis primitus rebellavit, quam armorum vi, predicto ducante, potenter recuperaverunt. Et tunc eciam Popo antedictus Gradensem civitatem violenter arripuit, et deteriora quam primo fecit; et ob hoc dictus dux ad Benedictum papam nuncios destinavit, et confirmationem privilegii exemptionis obtinuit. Et interim dictus Popo crudeliter expiravit.” – Andrea Dandolo, Chronica brevis, ed. Ester Pastorello, RIS, ser. 2, 12/1 (Bologna 1958), p. 362.
“Huius ducis regiminis [Dominici Contareni] anno primo, antedictus patriarcha Aquilegensis [Poppo] iniquus furtim Gradum ingressus est, et civitatem cum ecclesiis incendit, tesaurosque abstulit, sanctorum preter reliquas, quas reperire nequivit. Dux vero et patriarcha de hoc non modicum aggrevantes, pape litteras mittunt; et statim predictus patriarcha malignus sine confesione ab hac luce turpiter sublatus est, et vitam finivit ut canis. Tunc dux legatos suos abbatem Sancte Trinitatis, abbatem de Brondulo et Gregorium clericum de iure Patriarchatus Gradensis, plenisime informatos, summo pontifici celeriter destinavit, qui sedis sue aprobatione requirunt, et a papa petita obtinent amplo modo .” – Venetiarum Historia vulgo Petro Iustiniano Iustiniani filio adiudicata, ed. Roberto Cessi and Fanny Bennato (Venice 1964), p. 77.
“1043. Domenego Contarini doxe fo electo et nel secondo anno [sic!] Pippo patriarcha di Aquileia, havendo una volta auto il privilegio da papa Zuanne di la cità di Grado, di novo introe con zente in dita cità et la brusoe, ruinando le chiexie et caxe, spogliandola dil tutto, nè altro vi restò se non le reliquie di santi corpi, le qual perhò erano ascose. Unde per tanto peccado senza confessiom morite. Unde il doxe mandò ambasadori a papa, li qualli fonno Benedetto abbate di Santa Trinità di Brondolo, Zuam Stornado et Zorzi chierego, lamentandossi di questo, et obteneno privilegio che la dita cità di Grado sia liberamente sotto la iuriditiom di Venexia.” – Marin Sanudo the Younger, Le vite dei dogi, ed. Giovanni Monticolo, RIS, ser. 2, 22/4 (Città di Castello 1900), p. 151.
The 1044 Synod of Rome was convened at the behest of the newly elected Venetian Doge Domenico Contarini and the incumbent Patriarch of Aquileia Urso Orseolo, who petitioned the pope to take action against Aquileian Patriarch Poppo who launched a second military expedition against Grado.
First, the chronology of the events needs to be ascertained, as there are numerous erroneous datings even in more recent literature (cf. Gasparri, cited above). Patriarch Poppo died on September 28, 1042, and this date is corroborated by multiple necrologies (see Paschini, cited above, p. 38). Therefore, Poppo’s second attack on Grado must have happened before this date, but since the primary sources attest that Poppo died shortly after the raid, this second incursion is best dated to 1042, terminus ante quem September 28 (see also Cessi 1965, cited above, p. 32 fn. 1). This means that almost two years passed between Poppo’s second raid, earning him the moniker “the Attila of Grado”, and the Synod of Rome condemning this action.
Bearing all this in mind, it is evident that Kapsalis grossly errs when stating that “the Doge of Venice, Domenico Contarini, arrested him [Patriarch Poppo of Aquileia], imprisoned him and then (after the papal decision of 1044 and his deposition by the Pope) buried him alive up to his waist, leaving guards to watch over him until his soul was separated from his body by hunger and thirst” (cited above, p. 35). This legend of Poppo’s death by immurement, ordered by none other than the doge of Venice, appears for the first time, at least according to the editor’s knowledge, in Pietro Antonio Pacifico’s Cronica Veneta, published in Venice in 1697, where it is stated that “Pepon fu preso e fatto morire fra due muri” (p. 56); Johann Hübner then took over this factoid in his Kurze Fragen aus der politischen Historia, volume 3 (Leipzig 1700), where it is stated that “doch dieser Herzog [Domenico Contarini] liess ihn [Patriarch Poppo] bis an den Hals einmauern und so lange Schildmache stehen biss ihm die Seele ausfuhr” (p. 590), and this is the source cited by Kapsalis. These fantastic early modern narratives must be judged as pure fiction wholly divorced from the 11th-century factual events.
Regarding Poppo’s second raid, it was already Cessi (1965, cited above, p. 34) who hypothesized that the Aquileian Patriarch also seized the properties of the Patriarchate of Grado in Istria, but there are no primary sources that would corroborate this. Cessi’s hypothesis is echoed even in more recent literature (e.g. Gullino, cited above), but no “assault in Istria” can be deduced from the primary sources.
Moreover, the 1044 Synod of Rome, much like the 1024 Synod of Rome that dealt with the same problems (see doc. 1024_SR), issued no decrees regarding the status of Istrian bishoprics and Grado’s metropolitan jurisdictions in Istria. The 1044 Synod of Rome, exactly like the 1024 Synod of Rome helmed by Pope John XIX, merely recognized the metropolitan status of the Church of Grado, recognized the heads of this church as patriarchs, and degraded the Aquileian patriarchs to “Friulian prelates” (praesul Foroiuliensis). Thus, both Kehr and Schmidinger (both cited above) err when stating that the 1044 Synod of Rome “in principle settled the Istrian dispute”, the dispute being the metropolitan jurisdiction over the Istrian bishoprics. Instead, as Herrmann (cited above) notes, the metropolitan structures were maintained and the former ecclesiastical province Venetia et Histria remained divided between the metropolitan sees of Grado and Aquileia. Herrmann, however, errs when stating that the 1044 Synod of Rome ended the centuries-long dispute, a controversy that would officially end only in 1180 (see doc. 1180_GA).
The Istrian properties mentioned in Pope Benedict IX’s letter to Patriarch Urso reiterating the decrees of the 1044 Synod of Rome, the hereby edited document, include Trieste, Koper, Piran, Novigrad, Poreč, Rovinj, Pula and Sveti Juraj, but these are not, as Kapsalis erroneously interprets, places in which the patriarch of Grado had been given right to exercise his ecclesiastical (metropolitan) jurisdictions, but places in which the Church of Grado had secular possessions. The list of places is taken from Pope John XIX’s privilege issued to Patriarch Urso of Grado in 1024 (edited here as doc. 1024_PG), which, in turn, is based on the privilege issued by Emperor Otto II to Patriarch Vitalis of Grado on 974 (edited here as doc. 974_PG).
The document is most notable for employing the term “Nova Aquilegia” when addressing the patriarch of Grado in connection to Poppo’s invasion – detestabile nefas a Poppone Foroiuliensi presule, diabolo suadente, actum est adversus Ursonem Gradensis ecclesię Nove Aquilegie patriarcham. Much ink has been spilled over this clause and the title(s) accorded to Patriarch Urso. According to Cessi (1928–29 and 1965, both cited above), the phrase “Nove Aquilegie” is a later interpolation and the original phrase would be “adversus Ursonem Gradensis ecclesię patriarcham”. The reasoning behind this interpretation is that “Nova Aquilegia” does not appear in the opening address (Ursoni Gradensi patriarche perpetuam in domino Iesu Christo salutem) and that the document neither deals with the metropolitan jurisdictions over Istrian bishoprics nor does it abolish the metropolitan status of the Church of Aquileia. The phrase “Nova Aquilegia” for the Patriarchate of Grado, argues Cessi, would be revolutionary employed for the very first time only in 1053 by Pope Leo IX in a document where the metropolitan jurisdictions of the Church of Grado were indeed meant to be expanded over all Istrian bishoprics (see doc. 1053_PG). This interpretation was subsequently taken over by Violante (1965, cited above). While Cessi’s thesis is not insupportable, especially since the text of the document survives only in much later copies, all of them of Venetian provenance and a markedly pro-Venetian stance, the controversial phrase can be interpreted differently. Namely, as stressed by Jasper in his editor’s comments to the edition of this document (cited above, p. 163), the term “Nove Aquilegie patriarcha” could be employed here by Pope Benedict IX not with regard to the metropolitan jurisdictions over Istrian bishoprics, but simply to portray Grado as the “true” seat of the Patriarchate, consequently downgrading the opposing patriarch of Aquileia to a mere praesul of Friuli – it was more a question of prestige than of territorial claims. On this interpretation hinges the question of the forging(s) of the text of the 731 Synod of Rome (doc. 731_SR) – if Cessi’s thesis is accepted, the final text would be the result of two episodes of forging: the first occurring immediately after 1044, that is, the issuing of the hereby edited document, whereas the attribute “Nova Aquileia” for the Church of Grado would be interpolated into the forged text only in 1053; if, however, the phrase “Nove Aquilegie patriarcha” for Patriarch Urso in 1044 is not interpreted as a later interpolation, then the text of the 731 Synod of Rome would be forged in its current form prior to 1044, that is, already in 1024 as one of the principal pieces of “evidence” that Patriarch Urso presented to Pope John XIX during the 1024 Synod of Rome (doc. 1024_SR; see also Rando, cited above, pp. 120–121 fn. 189). In this edition, the phrase “Nove Aquilegie patriarcha” is not judged as a later interpolation and Cessi’s thesis is not accepted. Instead, Rando’s reasoning is followed, and, by extension, the text of the 731 Synod of Rome is interpreted as being forged already in the first quarter of the 11th century (terminus ante quem doc. 1024_SR). According to this interpretation, Pope John XIX very consciously avoided the employment of the term “Nova Aquileia” for the Patriarchate of Grado in 1024, aiming to maintain the status quo.
Finally, what motivated this complete papal revirement? In 1027, Pope John XIX abolished the decrees of the 1024 Synod of Rome and recognized the Patriarch of Aquileia as the sole metropolitan authority in the former ecclesiastical province Venetia et Histria, diminishing the Church of Grado to a mere parish (doc. 1027_SR). This decree, issued at the behest of Emperor Conrad II, Patriarch Poppo’s staunch supporter, proved to be impossible to implement. Yet, the 1044 Synod of Rome pronounced the 1027 privilege issued to Patriarch Poppo (doc. 1027_IP) utterly void and abolished as it had been “fraudulently procured” (fraudulenter impetratum). In essence, Pope Benedict IX returned to the state as sanctioned by the 1024 Synod of Rome and as guaranteed by John XIX’s privilege issued to Patriarch Urso (doc. 1024_SR and doc. 1024_PG). The reasons for this revirement are several: Both Emperor Conrad II and Patriarch Poppo were dead and imperial protection over the Church of Aquileia vanished, at least for the time being; the papal audience was requested by the doge of Venice, a powerful player on the political map of mid-11th-century Europe and the incumbent pope needed strong allies in his vicinity; finally, as Kehr aptly put it, Pope Benedict IX “was certainly no despiser of earthly treasures” and Venice did not lack the means to satiate such appetites (cited above p. 94).
The position of the Patriarchate of Grado would only continue to grow in the coming years, as evidenced by the 1053 document issued by Pope Leo IX (doc. 1053_PG), but the imperial protection of the Patriarchate of Aquileia (see doc. 1062_PAG), led to another stalemate where neither of the opposing sides succeeded to subject the other.
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